Page 78 - September 2022 Magazine - Bumper Edition

Fae Rings
Since the days of our Celtic ancestors, the sight of a Fairy ring has brought joy, curiosity, and
more than a little trepidation.
So, let’s look at what they are and then the abundant folklore stories that developed around them.
From a practical point of view, it’s a bunch of mushrooms. That’s that. However, that... isn’t simply that.
When mushrooms have appeared in such a way that they form a rough circle, it was seen as a sign.
The folklore of fairy rings was established with ruminations that otherworldly forces were responsible for these mushroom circles and many tales, both good and bad, have been passed down over the centuries.
Warnings of the dark forces that must create these abnormalities fluctuated and the many tales of fairy rings were established.
Some saw them as a positive while others saw them as ominous signs.
Clearly, a mushroom circle would have been thought to be a place of magical creatures such as elves, and in the majority of European folklore a playground of the Fae.
Whilst a fairy ring is a place where the fae can play and dance, it’s not somewhere that even the bravest of mortals should venture into, as they risk the probability of not returning.
Should you step into a fairy ring by accident, immediately walk around the ring nine times, clockwise.
In Scandic, Celtic and Anglo-Saxon belief, a Fairy ring was the remnants of a Fae festival and dance. The grass within the rough circle would be less green than the grass surrounding it owing to the mushrooms draining the nutrients from the soil.
In some cultures, a fairy ring is seen as a blessing and a sign of a good harvest. Others see it as a visitation from the devil.
Fairy circles will forever remain, as much as history and myth do, subject to conjecture.
78 | The Flickering Cauldron® Magazine - Fae Rings